Do You Know?: Rule the World.

Chapter 85: Bah, that's insulting (two in one)

In Bian Jing, in the backyard of Prince Yan's Mansion, several weeping crabapple trees are in full bloom.

Prince Yan was dressed in casual clothes, sitting upright in the hexagonal pavilion, playing chess with his lecturer Qiu Zheng while listening to the news brought back from Yangzhou by his subordinates. His expression became increasingly solemn.

"Zhao Shouzhen... the second year of Jingyou..."

"Has the emperor left the capital this year?"

The subordinate bowed at the bottom of the steps and whispered, "In reply to your Highness, I have secretly checked the diary. In September of that year, the emperor went on an incognito tour to the south and passed through Yangzhou."

As soon as these words were spoken, Prince Yan's eyes suddenly froze, and a strong murderous intent surged in his eyes.

"No wonder the emperor suddenly ordered all officials not to mention the matter of adopting a royal family member. So that's why!"

"This prince and his family have been doing business in Bianjing for several years, working tirelessly and diligently to build up a reputation and prestige!"

"Now, a bastard has appeared out of nowhere, ruining my years of planning!"

After saying that, he suddenly stood up and slapped the pavilion pillar with his palm.

Qiu Zheng quickly stood up and bowed, saying, "Your Highness, please calm down. In my opinion, this matter can still be turned around."

“Nearly half of the officials in the court are your supporters, and most of the important positions in the six ministries are held by our people.

"Even if Zhao Han is the son of an official, he has no imperial certificate to prove his status, and he has lived among the common people for many years, so his family background is shallow."

"As long as we firmly believe that the emperor is old and foolish, and has been deceived by treacherous people, and then contact the censors and make a report, we may be able to turn the tide."

Upon hearing this, the cold light in Prince Yan's eyes grew even colder, and his fists clenched until they made a creaking sound. "What a wild thought!"

"The emperor has so far refused to issue an imperial edict announcing Zhao Han's identity, in order to prevent this very incident."

"Han Zhang and Xue Pu, those ignorant old scoundrels, have probably been secretly supporting Zhao Han for a long time!"

Several years ago, Prince Yan repeatedly invited the old ministers in the court to banquets.

I even condescended to visit them in person, but they always found various excuses to refuse.

He took a deep breath, gritted his teeth and continued, "Prince Yong is a brainless idiot. The emperor threw a few bones at him, and he really thought he was going to rule the East Palace.

"Little did they know that the old man wanted us brothers to fight each other so that he could reap the benefits!"

Seeing Prince Yan so angry, Qiu Jing felt beads of sweat on his forehead and whispered, "Your Highness, what should we do now?"

"If the emperor really appoints Zhao Han as the crown prince in the future, then none of us who have been following the prince will be able to escape punishment."

"My humble life is not worth dying for, but you, Your Highness, and Your Highness the Princess..."

Prince Yan laughed out of anger, his face so gloomy that it seemed as if water could drip out.

"This king has been planning this for years. Do you really think I'm made of clay?"

He suddenly turned around, his eyes fixed on Qiu Zheng, "Tell you, brother, we are all tied together now, no one can escape!"

Qiu Zheng's heart skipped a beat, his face turned pale instantly, and his knees gave way as he fell to the ground.

"Your Majesty, please understand. My two brothers are loyal to you and have no second thoughts!"

Prince Yan then coldly looked at his subordinates in tight-fitting clothes and said, "Go to Puzhou and tell Jiao Feng and the others to immediately train their troops day and night and be ready to be dispatched by me at any time. Remember, not a single word of this can leak out!"

Puzhou was the fief of King Yan, located in Jingdong Road.

If we ride fast, we can reach Bianjing in one day. Even if a large army sets out, the journey will take at least three days.

Originally, Prince Yan secretly recruited soldiers and horses in order to one day check and balance Prince Yong, but he never expected that the situation in Bianliang had changed silently.

In the eyes of Prince Yan, Prince Yong is now just a chess piece of Zhao Zhen and will soon be abandoned.

After all, Prince Yong relied on his status as a royal relative to bully men and women and seize people's land in Bianliang over the years, and there were no less than ten murders in these cases.

Whether he ascends the throne in the future or Zhao Han is lucky enough to be appointed as the crown prince, what awaits Prince Yong is that his property will be confiscated and he will be imprisoned by the Imperial City Administration.

"As you command!" The subordinate responded without delaying for a moment and immediately set off on his journey at full speed.

At nightfall, Prince Yan came to the residence of Princess Yan with a gloomy face again.

Princess Yan was removing her hairpin in front of the mirror at the moment. She caught a glimpse of his expression in the bronze mirror, paused, and asked softly, "What's wrong with you, Your Highness? Who in the court has offended you?"

"Has Concubine Rong been in contact with you recently?" As he spoke, Prince Yan stretched out his arms, motioning Princess Yan to help him change his clothes.

Princess Yan's eyes flashed with doubt. She stood up and stepped forward and asked, "Why are you asking this suddenly, Your Highness?"

"The last time I saw Concubine Rong was during the Lantern Festival palace banquet."

"She happened to be feeling unwell that day, so she just sat for a while before returning to the palace."

Prince Yan frowned, grabbed the princess's wrist, and said in a low voice, "From today on, you should go to Xuanming Palace more often and make sure to get along well with Concubine Rong."

"Why? Rong Fei comes from a humble family and has ordinary vision. She only has a certain respectability because of the emperor's favor."

Princess Yan's face was full of contempt, and many women from noble families in the city looked down on Concubine Rong's background.

"Don't ask so many questions, just do as I command."

Seeing that she disagreed, Prince Yan took a deep breath and said in a deep voice: "Her brother Rong Xian is the deputy commander of the imperial guards. If we can win him over, it will be of great benefit to me in the future."

Upon hearing this, Princess Yan nodded thoughtfully, "I understand. Tomorrow I will bring some things to the palace to visit Concubine Rong."

"Remember, make her feel that you are sincere in making friends with her."

Prince Yan chose to win over Concubine Rong because he was attracted by Rong Xian's official position.

Secondly, Concubine Rong had been favored for many years, and her position in Zhao Zhen's heart was second only to Empress Cao.

The reason why he did not choose to win over Queen Cao is very simple.

An ally who is desperate but holds important bargaining chips is often more reliable than those powerful people with a solid foundation.

No matter who is appointed as the crown prince and ascends the throne in the future, Empress Cao will be the rightful empress dowager.

But Rong Fei was different. Although she seemed to be in a prosperous position, she actually had a shallow foundation and no children.

Rong Xian's official position and her father's title of Earl of Fuchang were all obtained due to her favor in the palace.

Once the emperor passes away, all the wealth and glory of her and the Rong family will vanish into thin air.

Rong Fei understood this principle better than anyone else.

Now that Guan Jialong's health is getting weaker, she must be planning her own retreat.

If I can tie Rong Fei and myself together in time, if it really comes to forcing her to abdicate in the future, everyone inside and outside the imperial city can respond.

A few days later, in the camp outside Beijing.

Zhao Han, Duke of England Zhang Fu, General Gan Yuanzhong, and Marquis of Ningyuan Gu Yankai and other generals were all here.

On the parade ground, the crowd was noisy, the flags were fluttering, and the iron armor was cold.

Thousands of soldiers were marching in formation, their shouts and cries reaching the sky. There were also bare-chested fighters competing in the arena, their cheers shaking the earth.

Pei Hu has also been transferred to the Cavalry Battalion and become Zhao Han's right-hand man.

Gu Yankai stroked his beard and nodded, saying with emotion, "I haven't seen such a grand occasion in many years. Lord Zhao has indeed lived up to the expectations of the emperor and us!"

"Mr. Gu, you are too kind. At present, we have only achieved some minor results."

"If we train for another half a year, it will definitely be another grand occasion." Zhao Han said with a smile on his face and bowed.

General Gan raised his hand and pointed to a place not far away. "What are those sandbags tied around the soldiers' waists?"

"General, this is the gradual weight-bearing method, increasing the weight of the sandbag every day."

"Now, the soldiers of the Cavalry Battalion can all run thirty miles without breathing while wearing armor."

As soon as these words were spoken, a look of shock flashed across the eyes of several generals.

General Gan took a deep breath and said, "Back then, the elite troops under my command could only travel twenty li at most before needing to rest!" "It seems that you, Lord Zhao, are determined to compete with the cavalry of Western Xia!"

Zhao Han's eyes flickered slightly, and he chuckled twice, "I have to fulfill my original bold promise."

"Good, you have ambition!" The old general stroked his beard and smiled, then turned his attention to a team of archers not far away.

At this time, they were using the three-stage attack method proposed by Zhao Han, shooting in turns, and the rain of arrows was endless.

And their targets were not fixed, but movable wooden frames controlled by several soldiers, moving back and forth fast and slow.

Zhao Han noticed the suspicion on everyone's faces and took the initiative to speak, "I've observed that the Xixia cavalry come and go like the wind. If we only practice with fixed targets, nine out of ten arrows will miss in actual combat. That's why I designed this moving target training method."

As he was speaking, he suddenly heard the sound of "whooshing" breaking through the air.

I saw a crossbowman facing a target that moved left and right, and he could hit seven or eight out of ten targets.

One person even fired three arrows in succession, and each arrow hit the red dot in the center of the target.

"In addition, I have also hired clerks to teach the soldiers how to read and count every three days."

"I believe that military training should not only strengthen the muscles and bones, but also open up the mind and learn to read."

Upon hearing this, the Duke of England clapped his hands and looked at Zhao Han with admiration.

"Wonderful! No wonder the soldiers of the Cavalry Battalion all have a spiritual aura in their eyes when I see them."

"Your method of training soldiers is truly eye-opening for this old man."

"This time, the emperor sent envoys to Xixia to persuade them to withdraw their troops temporarily. But next time, I will personally lead the expedition and confront those Xixia barbarians!"

Zhao Han immediately bowed and said, "When the time comes, I'm willing to go with you!"

"Okay! It's a deal!" The Duke of England stroked his beard and laughed.

---

Youyang, a prosperous residence.

Just three days ago, Shulan had successfully completed her coming-of-age ceremony with the help of Li and Sheng Wei.

Sheng Hong and the old lady both brought Shulan a generous gift.

Sun Zhigao, who had not yet learned that Shulan had been promised to Zhao Han, came today with his mother and the matchmaker, carrying some small gifts, to propose marriage.

Sun Zhigao was wearing a brand new indigo-blue gown, his hair was combed meticulously, and he had a determined smile on his face.

Sun's mother held her head high and chest out, carrying a few pieces of ordinary cloth and a box of snacks in her hands.

She thought that this small gift was enough to honor the Sheng family.

The matchmaker followed behind the two of them with a smile on her face, and kept saying auspicious words in order to earn a few taels of silver.

When the doorman of Sheng's residence saw that it was the Sun family, he immediately raised his head and chest and asked, "What are you doing here?!"

"My master has instructed that if anyone from the Sun family comes to our house, just kick them out!"

When Sun's mother heard this, her face was shocked.

He exchanged glances with Sun Zhigao, coughed twice, and stepped forward and said, "My son is a scholar!"

"I came here today to propose marriage, and this is how you, the Sheng family, treat guests?!"

The matchmaker stepped forward to smooth things over: "My dear, please do me a favor. The Sun family has specially prepared generous gifts to propose marriage to your second daughter."

The concierge glanced at the pieces of coarse cloth in Sun's mother's hands and sneered, "A generous gift? Can you even call it a generous gift?"

"The material of my clothes is better than that."

Sun Zhigao was suddenly a little annoyed. He was waiting to get Shulan's dowry so that he could continue to recite poems and appreciate prostitutes with the literati.

"How dare you, a servant, be so rude? I, Sun Zhigao, am a distinguished scholar!"

"I've come here sincerely to propose marriage, why don't you get out of the way! I need to see your master and ask for an explanation!"

The concierge snorted coldly, his nose turned up, and he picked up a thick wooden stick from behind the door and said in a sarcastic tone: "Oh, the scholar is so arrogant!"

"I advise you, if you dare to take another step forward, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

Seeing that the doorman was serious, Sun Zhigao immediately took two steps back and swung his sleeves, "You... are disrespectful!"

"Wait until I see your family..."

Before he could finish his words, Sheng Wei came back from outside.

The carriage stopped steadily in front of the door.

When the car curtain was lifted, Sheng Wei saw the mother and son of the Sun family standing in front of his house, and his face instantly fell.

Sun's mother was sharp-eyed. She quickly came up to him and pointed at the doorman angrily, saying, "My dear, this damn servant is so ignorant that he actually stopped us from seeing you!"

"Such an impolite servant should be sold far away!" Sun Zhigao added from behind.

Sheng Wei was holding back his anger, but when he saw them carrying gifts and a matchmaker, he guessed that they were here to propose to Shulan.

He brushed off the non-existent dust on his sleeves and said quietly, "What in-laws? Who are your in-laws?"

Sun's mother immediately choked up, her chin twitching in surprise for a long moment. "Your eldest wife said before that when Shulan reaches the age of marriage, she will marry into my family!"

"Really? Why wouldn't I know? My wife must be drunk and talking nonsense."

These words were like a bucket of cold water poured on Sun Zhigao's head, and he looked at Sheng Wei in disbelief.

Ever since he passed the imperial examination, the Sheng family has been taking good care of him and providing him with plenty of money.

They almost worshipped him, and it was only in the last six months that they started to be less enthusiastic about him.

Sun Zhigao thought this was only temporary. After all, in Youyang, he was the one with the greatest hope of passing the imperial examination and becoming an official.

Apart from marrying their daughter to him, who else could the Sheng family choose?
"You...what do you mean? Do you want to break up the engagement?" Sun Zhigao's voice trembled and his face flushed.

Sheng Wei snorted coldly.

"Broken marriage? Without parental permission, matchmaker's words, and without the three written agreements and six formalities, a drunken joke is worthy of being called a broken marriage?"

"To be honest, my daughter has been promised to someone else and will be leaving for Bianjing soon."

He paused deliberately, looking at the increasingly solemn expressions of the Sun family mother and son.

He added slowly, "He was the top scholar last year."

"Tanhua Lang?! Your family is a merchant family, do you think you are worthy of being a Tanhua Lang?"

Sun Zhigao exclaimed in disbelief.

No wonder the Sheng family hasn’t given money recently, it turns out they’ve climbed up the social ladder!

Seeing this, matchmaker looked at the Sun mother and son with disgust, and left without even saying hello.

"So what if you're just a merchant? I think you and your son will have to go back to working as laundry menders to make a living."

After saying this, Sheng Wei stepped into the room, and the servant closed the door directly.

Looking at the closed door, Sun's mother knew that this marriage was hopeless.

To save her temper, she put her hands on her hips and shouted, "Son, let's go!"

"My son is the Prime Minister, and your family is just a merchant's daughter. You are not worthy of my family!"

"When he becomes prime minister in the future, you will regret it!"

"If it weren't for your Shulan, who is so pretty and fertile, you wouldn't even want to be my concubine!"

Sun Zhigao was so angry that he was shaking all over and spat fiercely on the ground: "Bah, merchants, how disrespectful! Just wait!"

(End of this chapter)